28 September 2023 , 11:34
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NBA superstar James Harden could not mask his delight after his Houston Dynamo team downed Inter Miami in the US Open Cup final in Lionel Messi's absence.
There has been no shortage of famous faces from the world of basketball in attendance at DRV PNK Stadium this season but it is rare that they are rooting for the Herons to lose. However, that was the case as the Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard watched on from the stands.
The 34-year-old, considered one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, was instead cheering on Vice City's opponents and was clad in the team's orange jersey for the affair. His support of the Texan was due to him owning a minority share in the Western Conference club.
He watched on with pride as his beloved team raced into a an unassailable two-goal lead before half time. In fact, as the camera panned to him after Amine Bassi scored Houston's second strike of the evening, the jubilation was plain to see on Harden's face.
Their clinical first half performance proved to much for Inter Miami to overcome after the break, with their injured captain Messi left watching on from the terraces. In complete contrast to Harden, the absent Vice City talisman cut a dejected figure after his teammates fell at the last hurdle.
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Likewise, the Herons' co-owner David Beckham looked particularly downcast as Houston celebrated a famous victory on the road to win the cup. Harden later joined the team's players on the pitch as they toasted their success and he reflected on a glorious night saying: "We've been going every single year and I guess for us to win a cup today on the road, it's a great feeling".
Asked whether the win could provide a springboard for future success, he added: "We've got a long way to go but it's definitely a step in the right direction. Like I said, winning in this though environment here in Miami is a good feeling. Obviously they were [without] their best player but it's part of the game.
Houston Dynamo's players celebrate winning the U.S. Open Cup Final against Inter Miami (Getty Images for USSF)"A win is a win. I wanted to see [Messi] It would have made the game more exciting but being on the other side we take the win. I'm just happy for our guys."
Likewise, Houston's head coach Ben Olsen was delighted with his the performance of his players, adding: "When things are clicking and we're moving the ball, we're dangerous, we showed two sides of us. For most of the second half, it was about resiliency, defending a little bit at times more than we wanted to but we saw it out.
'Throughout the season, we've had to rely on both of those [sides],you need to do both in this league. You can't always play a full game at a really high level.
"This [Inter Miami] team's hard. If you don't stick the knife in when you get a third chance, a fourth chance, you know they're going to continue to come back."